Past the Monster
by Zoey Nightrod
Summary: Shizuo Heiwajima is known as the monster of Ikebukuro. However, not everyone believes that he's as bad as his reputation implies. When Shizuo is hurt once again due to thugs disliking the man, someone comes to the rescue. This woman could be the one who truly accepts Shizuo for who he is, and not what others say he is. One-shot; extended due to request.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is just a little something I came up with one day. I feel happy with how it turned out and I hope that you all enjoy. Feel free to leave suggestions or comments. Just be polite about it; that's all that I ask.**

Past the Monster

Mizuki walked down the cement sidewalk, waiting for the red walking sign to turn green. It was then that she heard two loud gunshots fired in rapid succession. People started to look around worriedly, and most began to walk away in the opposite direction. But not Mizuki. Normal people would flee from the scene if they heard such a sound, but the young woman went against the crowd and picked up her pace, no longer caring anymore about fetching groceries. Two minutes later, she was in a dead run. A horrible feeling crept over her, and she shivered. Mizuki's instincts screamed to turn around, to get away from whatever had happened. But Mizuki trudged on, jogging along the brick wall of a building. She ducked down an alleyway, the same one that the gunshots had echoed in, and stopped. There, lying on the cold concrete was a person. Her brown eyes widened in horror. Shaking her head to clear it, she dashed forward.

"Hey! Hey, are you ok?" She knew that it was a stupid question to ask. Of course he wasn't ok; he'd just been shot! There was a groan from the man. His eyes were closed, and he looked a little pale. Mizuki glanced over him. He'd been shot in his left leg and mid-section. Blood poured from both wounds profusely, soaking the ground beneath him crimson. The woman reached forward and gently shook the man.

"You shouldn't lie down like that. Do you think you could sit up?" The blond opened one amber eye to look at her. A second later, he squeezed it shut.

". . . Suppose so." he groaned. Mizuki helped him sit up, trying her best to be as calm as possible, even though she knew he could die from severe blood loss. She let him lean against her while she pulled out her cell phone. After dialing a number, she began to get a little nervous. What if he didn't pick up? While she listened to the dial tone, Mizuki kept glancing at the bloodied individual next to her. She let out a silent sigh of relief when the person on the other line picked up.

"Shinra, its Mizuki. Listen, I need your help right now. There's someone here who needs immediate medical attention. They've been shot and I'm not sure how bad his injuries are. I'm at. . ." She rambled off an address, making sure to include any distinguishing landmarks. A breath later, Shinra told her that he was on his way and would be there as quick as he could. The phone was flipped shut and placed inside the woman's pocket.

"Help is coming. Don't worry." The blond male gave a slight nod. His eyes were still shut and his shoulders moved with each pained breath he took. Mizuki's brows knitted together in concern. He really didn't look well; given that the man was becoming paler with each passing moment. The sound of footsteps caught the female's attention. A brunette appeared between the buildings, muttering to himself. He turned, and was shocked to find the two on the ground.

"Shizuo!" he shouted, running over to Mizuki and the wounded man. He knelt down and placed a tanned hand on the ex-bartender's shoulder.

"Man, what happened?" Mizuki tried her best to fill the newcomer in.

"I heard gunshots so I came to see what occurred and found him like this. He was alone; I guess the people who shot him took off. I already called a doctor I know, so he should be coming shortly," The man with dreads gave her a grateful look. "I'm Mizuki Takashi, by the way."

"Thank you." His eyes drifted over to Shizuo then back to the woman. He then noticed her outstretched hand and shook it. "I'm Tom Tanaka, Shizuo's employer," he said. "When Shizuo didn't come back from his break I started to get a little bit worried. He's never late," Tom explained. "I suppose now I know why." Mizuki addressed the man next to her.

"So you're Shizuo?" she asked, trying to keep the man conscious. She knew that it would be dangerous if he fell comatose while losing so much blood. The blond grunted. The ghost of a smile crossed Mizuki's lips. "What's your last name?" Shizuo opened his eyes lazily.

"Heiwajima."

Mizuki tested the new name out loud. Tom eyed her warily. She smiled at him.

"I like it." There was a sigh from beside her. "But it sounds familiar." confessed the woman. "Have we met before?" Tom laughed.

"Have you never heard of him? Shizuo Heiwajima, the strongest man in all of Ikebukuro?" Mizuki pressed her lips together.

"Oh. So that's where I heard it from." she said simply. Tom gave her an awed look when she said nothing more. Shizuo's tawny eyes slid shut as he sighed again. The woman glanced down at him with a bit of a worried expression. Gently, she brushed his bangs out of his eyes. Tom watched her and then looked at his employee. One minute passed, and then another before anyone spoke again.

"Who was the doctor that you called?" Mizuki opened her mouth to answer but was cut off.

"It's-"

"That would be me." Tom turned around to see a familiar brown-haired man standing in a white lab coat.

"Shinra!" Mizuki's shouted out the name in relief. Tom gawked at the woman.

"You know Shinra?" asked the debt collector. The woman nodded as Shinra approached.

"Yeah, we went to high school together. We would talk every once in a while. Oh, he also helped me when I broke my leg on the soccer field at school. He's really good at what he does." she finished. The doctor knelt down beside the three and set down the silver suitcase he had been carrying. The lid clicked softly as he opened it and he pulled out a few instruments. Shinra stole a glance at Shizuo, worry causing his brows to furrow.

"Shizuo, are you still awake?" The blond reluctantly opened an eye.

"Sleepy. . ." he mumbled, earning a look from Tom. Mizuki turned her head to speak to the underground doctor.

"I kept him awake because I knew it would be bad if he fell asleep after losing so much blood so quickly." came the rapid explanation. Shinra gave her a pleased smile.

"Good. So you did remember something from the lessons after all." Mizuki shrugged and switched her attention back to the ex-bartender. Shinra worked in silence for a while, for no one wanted to break his concentration. Once he removed both of the bullets, the brunette pulled out disinfectant for the wounds and applied it. Shizuo gritted his teeth, feeling the sting of the liquid. After cleaning the bullet gashes, Shinra pulled out bandages. Before he could wrap them, however, Mizuki spoke.

"Shizuo?" The blond had been quiet for a time, and the woman was becoming nervous. Shinra checked the man's breathing and relaxed.

"He's just asleep. The bleeding has mostly stopped so he's out of the danger zone." Tom let out the breath he had been holding.

"That's good."

Shinra finished wrapping the wounds and started to pack his things. He faced Mizuki with a grin.

"Normal people would head the opposite way if they even heard the name of Shizuo Heiwajima, but not you, huh?" Mizuki shrugged again, slightly embarrassed. "Some even say that he's a monster, with that abnormal strength of his and all." He watched the brown-haired woman for her reaction.

"I don't believe the rumors. Sure he's strong, but why should that make him any different?" Shinra's grin widened.

"You don't consider him a monster? Or even a freak of nature?" Mizuki rolled her eyes.

"You're the only freak of nature here, Shinra." Tom laughed, relief spreading among the trio.

"But I'm serious," Shinra enforced, wanting a direct answer. "You're not afraid of him?" There was a pause as the persistent doctor waited. Finally, the woman gave him an answer.

"I don't think he's a monster," murmured Mizuki. Her hand brushed the hair from his forehead like it had previously. Her chocolate eyes softened with something hidden in their deep pools. "He's just misunderstood." Shinra gave a soft chuckle.

"I've never seen him look so peaceful." Tom gave a word of agreement.

The blond was leaning against the female brunette, his head on her shoulder. Mizuki held him close to her in case he fell, with one arm around his shoulders and the other caressing his face. Mizuki didn't know exactly why she wanted to be with Shizuo then; she had only just met him. The woman, just like everyone else in Ikebukuro, had known of Shizuo through his reputation. Until then, he hadn't really mattered. He was just another unusual citizen of the district of Tokyo like everyone else. But once she'd seen him injured, it hit her. Labeled as a monster, Shizuo lived his life being feared and going through the hardship of having few people, if no one, there for him. It had to hurt; living alone, knowing that you were unlike the people around you, and having to be tormented day and night by the simple fact that you couldn't even control a single thing that happened around you. To Mizuki, the real monsters of Ikebukuro were the ones who preyed on the people who couldn't, or wouldn't, defend themselves.

Shizuo stirred in her arms, jerking Mizuki from her thoughts. Shinra and Tom were deep in conversation and paying her no mind. As Shizuo slowly gaining consciousness, Mizuki leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead. She tipped back to see Shizuo staring at her through half-lidded eyes. He wasn't still fully awake, but she could see that he knew what had just happened. She gave him a gentle smile, causing him to glance away and blush slightly. But underneath the embarrassment, she could see a hint of happiness within the amber eyes.

Someone had finally seen past the monster.

**Anyone else feel a bit of sadness coming from this story? Maybe it's just me but I hope you all liked it. Don't forget to drop a review on your way out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Due to request, I have added a new chapter! Thank you to all who read and reviewed! It really means a lot to me! And thank you to whoever gave me the suggestion of writing from Shizuo's point of view. I hadn't thought of that at all! So please, enjoy the second chapter!**

Past the Monster

Shizuo POV

_Bang! Bang!_

The shots echoed through the alleyway, catching the attention of passersby. Immediately, they scattered, leaving the way open for the shooters to escape. They took off without a second thought. Shizuo blinked, unsure of what had just happened. Suddenly, pain exploded in his stomach and left leg. He let out a pained groan and slowly dropped to his knees. The blond couldn't think clearly; all he was conscious of was the creeping agony that was overcoming his mind. A second later, his usually abundant strength left him; Shizuo collapsed face down on the cold pavement. He managed to turn his head to the side so that he was able to breathe. Crimson blood pooled in the corners of his vision, giving Shizuo something to lock his eyes on. A few heartbeats after seeing his life's blood drain away into the cracks of the concrete, the amber eyes closed, reducing Shizuo's world to nothing but pain and darkness.

"Hey! Hey, are you ok?" An unusually loud voice jerked Shizuo from his nearly unconscious state. He felt a soft touch and groaned to let them know that he heard them. The woman shook his shoulder, seemingly unafraid of him. Shizuo wanted to growl at them; like an injured animal all he wanted to do was crawl away and tend to his wounds. But he had nothing left in him to fight the person that kept him awake and able to feel the unwanted throbbing. The ex-bartender heard the voice say something else and ask him if he could sit up. He opened one eye reluctantly, looked at her, and then shut it again. Despite the desire to give in, he responded.

". . . Suppose so." The gentle hands grasped his shoulders and pulled him in an up-right position. Seeking warmth, something that had evaded him after he'd been shot, the blond leaned against the woman. Her arm shifted as she pulled an object from her pocket. As she called someone and spoke to them, Shizuo became slowly aware again. The smell of watermelon wafted through the air; it must be the shampoo the lady used. The conversation, to the injured man's ears, was quick and consisted of nothing more than a few sentences. Meanwhile, the brunette-turned-blond focused on trying to identify the person next to him. After numerous failed attempts, he gave up.

"Help is coming. Don't worry." Shizuo nodded in acknowledgement. Each breath he took pained his chest and he had to bit his lip to keep from making a sound. His amber eyes were closed because light hurt his sensitive eyes. A liquid, wet and sticky, soaked his clothes. Footsteps resounded on the grey pavement and the man heard his name shouted out in a familiar voice. Shizuo had to try really hard to place it. Tom, his employer, he finally settled on. The voice sounded worried, perhaps even scared. Tom struck up a conversation with the woman and Shizuo let himself drift off for a short time. Until he took notice of the woman addressing him.

"So you're Shizuo?" Shizuo didn't feel like talking so he just grunted instead. "What's your last name?" Shizuo couldn't help but think that she was talkative. All he wanted was to sleep, but nonetheless he answered her question, opening his eyes while he did.

"Heiwajima." He waited for the scream, the curse, any sign of her realizing who exactly she sat beside. But it never came. Instead, he heard something that surprised him.

"I like it." She said after repeating his full name. Shizuo was confused. Here beside her was the monster of Ikebukuro. Yet she hadn't left, hadn't screamed, and hadn't even seemed to _recognize _his name. How was that? Everyone in the district knew who he was; little kids, grown adults, working teens. Maybe she was new and had yet to learn of the horror he was.

"But it sounds familiar. Have we met before?" Tom laughed, almost mocking.

"Have you never heard of him? Shizuo Heiwajima, the strongest man of all of Ikebukuro?" Now she would scream. Now the warmth would leave him. Now he would feel the pain of being alone all over again.

But he didn't.

"Oh. So that's where I heard it from." That was it. No scream of bloody-murder came from her lips, the warmth only seemed to grow stronger, and the all-too-well-known feeling of being abandoned . . . missing. A sigh escaped from his lips as his amber eyes slid shut. Hope began to kindle in his chest. Perhaps, after all, there was someone who accepted _him_; not the beast he was known as. Gently, he felt fingers brush his forehead and his bangs were swept from his eyes. Softly, like a feather. The memories of his mother taking care of him when he was sick began to surface. Longing for something that had been absent for such a long time made Shizuo want to bury his head into the shoulder he leaned upon.

Tom asked a question and the woman, whose name Shizuo struggled to remember, started to answer. But a happy reply cut hers off. Shinra, one of his old high school friends and the underground doctor. The woman shouted out his name and a within the blond's chest he felt a pinprick of pain. What was he to her? But then he heard her explanation; they had only gone to school together and he had helped her once when she got hurt. It was funny; he didn't remember seeing her around. Of course, that mattered little now. The way she spoke to him was different from the way she had spoken to Shizuo. With Shinra, her voice was familiar and relaxed, but still respectful. With Shizuo, it was soft and welcoming, like a warm bed after being stuck in the cold for so long. It held an emotion that the ex-bartender couldn't quite place.

"Shizuo, are you still awake?" Shizuo let out a silent sigh, cursing Shinra for interrupting his thoughts. One amber eye glanced at the brunette.

" . . . Sleepy." mumbled Shizuo in an annoyed voice. But the anger was lost before it could come. He noticed Tom looking at him but ignored the glance. Shizuo went back to trying to recall the name. It was on the tip of his tongue, as though he could taste it. . .

Stinging yanked the blond back to bitter reality. Shizuo wanted to yell as the pain spread from his stomach and his leg. It hurt, badly. Worse than it had before. To try to lessen the pain, he pressed against the body next to him. He felt her arms go around him in comfort. Shizuo relaxed in her arms, the pain chased away by the warmth of Mizuki. Mizuki. The name whispered in his head repeatedly in a reassuring song. Burying his head in her shoulder, he slowly drifted into a light slumber. In his half-conscious state, he felt the gentle hand caressing his face and the arm around his shoulder holding him against her. Tom and Shinra started to talk, and Shizuo started to wake up sluggishly. As he did, he felt something soft touch his forehead. He opened his eyes in time to see the brunette woman lean away with a smile on her face. Realizing what she'd done, his cheeks reddened. But deep down, he was happy. Out of the whole population of Ikebukuro, here was one woman beside him who didn't see a monster. She saw a man by the name of Shizuo Heiwajima.

And he knew that, without a doubt, she loved him. Monster or not.

**Author's Note: Sorry for those who wanted it to be longer! I tried my best to keep Shizuo in character so feel free to tell me if I did or not. Also, I will be writing a parallel story to this one that involves Izaya. Make sure to keep an eye out for it. Don't forget to leave a review and tell me how I did!**


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